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Judge Approves Testimony on Tornado Cash Code Changes in Roman Storm Trial
A U.S. District Judge has approved testimony that Roman Storm could have changed the code to stop Tornado Cash from being used for criminal purposes. The ruling was made during the second week of the Roman Storm trial.
Prosecutors claim Roman Storm, a blockchain developer, had the technical knowledge and control to alter the Tornado Cash platform and prevent it from being used for money laundering and other illicit activities. However, they did not implement any measures to restrict its usage.
In a recent development, Judge Katherine Failla approved testimony that could support this claim. According to the judge’s ruling, Philip Werlau from AnChain.AI will be allowed to testify about the feasibility of implementing a “user registry smart contract” that would have limited or tracked Tornado Cash users.
Werlau, an investigator specializing in anti-money laundering compliance, is expected to explain how Roman Storm could have used this technology to curb illegal activities.
The prosecution aims to demonstrate that Roman Storm ignored red flags and failed to apply available restrictions on the platform, allowing it to be exploited by criminal organizations.
It is worth noting that Werlau’s testimony will not focus on whether or not such a feature has ever been implemented in public blockchain systems but rather its theoretical feasibility.
Roman Storm faces multiple charges including money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions.
The trial continues this week with the prosecution expected to present additional evidence and witnesses.
Source: coinchapter.com
